Nut-shelling machine



Feb. 23 1926. v 1,574,450

' E# SKINNER ET AL I NUT SHELLI'NGl MACHINE Filed Oct. 6, 1924.- 2Sheets-Sheet '1 5v vfff Afrox/ffy:

E, R. SKAINNER ETAL NUT SHELLING MACHINE Filed ou. 6, 1924 2sheets-sheet 2 BY ATTORNEYS Patented Feb. 23, 1926.

UNITED STTS PATENTOFFICE.

` EDGAR R. SKINNER, JOI-IN -I-I. RENNE, .AND EDWARD O. OSTERMEYER, 0FST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNORS TO BERNHART MERCANTILE COMPANY, ACORPORATION OF MISSOURI.

NUT-SIIELLING MACHINE.

Application filed October 6, 1924. Serial No. 741,871.

To all whom t may concern.'

vBe it known that we, EDGAR R. SKINNEP., JOHN H. RDNND, and EDWARD O.OSTER- Mnrnn, citizens of the United States of America, and residents ofthe city 0f St. Louis, State of Missouri, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements 1n N ut- Shelling Machines, of which the followingis a full, clear, and ,exact description, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, forming apart of this specification.

|This invention relates generally to nut shelling machines, andparticularly to a machine which will remove the shells from the kernelsof edible nuts after said shells of said nuts have been cracked by amachine or by hand. Prior to this invention, it has been the practice inmost cases to shell edible nuts by hand after the shells of Vsaid nutshad been cracked. This method was found to be a slow and expensive one,and the main purpose ofthe present invention is to produce a machineinto which cracked nuts may be placed and which will operate in a mannerto separate the fragments of the shells of said nuts from the kernelsthereof.

VVith the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention. comprisesthe novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinaftermore specil'ically described and illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings, wherein is shown the preferred embodiment of the invention.However, it is to be understood that the invention comprehends changes,variations and modifications which come withinthe scope of the claimshereunto appended.

Fig. I is a longitudinal vertical section 'of our improved nut shellingmachine.

Fig. II is a vertical cross section of the machine shown in Fig. I.

F ig. III is a plan view of our shelling machine.

In the drawing, A designates our improved shelling machine, whichcomprises a rectangluar frame B supported by a plurality of legs C.Arranged at the ends of the rectangular frame B is a pair of bearings 1,there being one of said bearings at each end of said'frame, as shown inFigs. I and III. Supported inthe bearings 1 and extended longitudinallyof the machin-e is a shaft 2, said shaft having associated with improvedvdrum 3 shaft 2 by means of a plurality of spiders 4, each of whichcomprises ai hub portion .Y

5 and a plurality of radial arms 6 extending from said hub portion. Thespiders 4 are secured to the shaft 2 by means of pins 7', or in anyother suitable manner, so that said spiders rotate with said shaft. i

The radial arms 6 of the spiders 4 extend toward the comparativelynarrow fiat faces 3" of the drum 3, the outer ends of said radial armsbeing spaced apart slightly from said flat faces and the armsof thevarious spiders being arranged in longitudinal rows. Interposed betweeneach individual row of spider arms and the adjacent comparatively narrowface 3b is a'n elongated bar 8, there being six of these elongated barsshown in the drawing, though,

of course, there may be more or less as the Y number of bars isimmaterial in so far as the operation of the machine is concerned. Atthe outer end of each radial arm 6 of the spider isa flange 6, andsuitable fastening devices ar-e passe through said flanges, through theassociated elongated bars 8, and through the adjacent comparativelynarrow faces 3b of the drum '3, whereby said drum, elongated bars andspiders are securely fixed together so that they will rotate as a unit.Each individual elongated bar 8 is provided with a plurality of inwardlyextending pins 8, said pins preferably being made in two lengths, therebeing alternate long and short pins arranged longitudinally of said bars8 as shown clearly in Fig. I. The rows o-f pins 8 extend practically theentire length of the drum 8 and are intended for a purpose to behereinafter set fort-h.

The drum 3 is entirely` open at what may be termed the discharge end Dthereof, and said drum is provided with a wall 9 at its other, orintake, end, which wall is provided with a circular opening 10. Arrangedatthe intake end "of, thedrurn. isa stationary hopper 11, said hopperbeing supported in .anyV suitable .,manner., by the rectangular frame/Bof the machine and being provided drum, 3, v 12 ldesignatesthe lowerportion of the housing ofthe machine, 'Saidfhousingh portion beingshaped to provide a pair ofi l1oppers-l3 and lfl having dischargeopeir A,dings 13 ,and 14HA at theirflower 'ends. 15

@ Qjdesignates the cover portion ofthe housing f of the machine, saidcover, vportion .being ar-A 'f drum."v VThen' the'J kerhels 'of the nutsreach the portion of the drum having the larger ap ert u res 17, saidkernels will pass through said .apertures-eed ,.Wil'al l'bO 15' TOPPel14 and pass through'tvhe opening .14 of'said hopper into a receptaclearranged thereunder. It may be that when some of the kernelspass'through the larger openings 17 and into the receptacle beneaththehopper 14, small ,fragments of shellsmay be clinoinv to'then'i and ifthis' 1s' so 1t is rifD ,u apparent that 1t would be a Very simple"fitaskr to krysep'ariajte saidkernels and said'A shell '.v ranged, toentirely cover the upper portioiifisize not pass 1through the fao.

. ofthe drum 3f The lower l)ortion12 and Y the COVGrportion 159i tl1@..OUSiI1g Of the nuts or large"kernels will pass entirely `machine are,of course, .stationary, saidfl phone-sing, portions being supported bythe' rectangular frame l of the niaehinef `'lormed inthecomparativelywida flat portionsw?)a of ,thewall of'thedrum 3 Iis a1plurality of, apertures, the apertures-16 apertures 17' are encountered,nsaid liunc'racked lthrough the"`1'r 1`acliii1e, being discharged at theope'n end D ofthed'rum 3,' where they will fallj o'ntotheiiiiclin'ed'wall 18"a`nd will pass lfrom the machine through theopening 19.`v I:

`Weliclai1nlf fthe wallpfthe,drumlA from `the intake en'd'f s1.A`i11itsliel`ling*machine comprising a thereofto an imaginary line atthe' approxi;I

c mate longitudinal center of .thedrum being frio;

" .s The operationV ofour improved, nut-shell# ing machine isfasfollows:

comparatively small yand, the A apertures 17 arrangedbetween, saidimaginary line and' the `dischargeend ofthe drum being much:.largerwthan the apertures 1 G. The apertures" 16 and 17 extend `fromend to'endfof the .drun 1 3, but to save needless work on the y drawingswwe, have 'shown these apertures"l only in spots.' tThe drum inclinesdown!" wardly 'frointhe Tintake endlthereof to the dischargeend thereof,so thatfany nuts"V maybe placed in said 'drum will .graduallyinovedtoward the discharge end" of thevdrurn as lit isrotated.

'Assume that thevnachine is in `operation drum Sthereon, Iis beingrotated.v Nuts, thev ."shellswofv vwhich have be'enfk previously.y

, cvzracked,y arev deposited in the hopper 11,

whereby Asaidfnuts introduced into the i interior of the` drum 3.rThesenutswill be because of the nonvcirc'ul'ar `crosssectional shape ofsaidy drum lalso because the pins 8, will act asfbafles. `After the nutshave beenA violently tumbledab'outfor Ia'period :ofA tlimeit is plainthatv the fragments'f' xcraclnd shells ofV said Ynuts will be separatedfrom the, s kernels4 thereof' and these shell receptacle located beneaththefopening 13', of said hopper. The opening 16 are noti j u large,enough for `the kernels of the nuts to pass through them and thereforethe in? clination of the drum will cause said kernels to travel towardthe discharge end of the 'wall ffsaid'dru'rnlbeing' provided with agroup" of apertures adjacent'toone Yof its 'ends tl'1rough`which thefragmentsiof the shells' of'iruts pass,"and 'a group' ofAk largeraperturesI adjacent to the otherfendfof said Adrum through 'whichthekernels of vsaid nuts pass', "saidduin being' arranged at an'ineliination to 'cau'se the nuts' therein to move to- "ward one of itsends while the same is rotating. l A 'nutshellin'g' machine comprising arotatable drum Ir'1'on` c1 r'cular 1n cross section i and 'thatl` theshaft f2, together with th'evi'n` which'V nuts'a're' placed after'thefsh'ells thereof have been craeked, means'comprising a plurality ofvariousl sized 'pins eXtending inwardly from the wallof said drumwhereby said' nuts tare tumbled 'about 'within said drumV a's 'it isrotated; -thel wall' of said drum Vtumbled* aboutfwithintheirotatin'gdrum 3,"""bei'ng provided with a group of'aperturesadjacentto dne'of its endsthrough'fwhichthe fragmented theehuis ofaidants pass, and a groupvof larger apertures adjacent to the votherVend of saiddrum through which the kernels of"nuts" pass, saiddrum beingarrangedfatanfinclinationtb 'cause' the nuts therein to `r`n`ove` towardthel g'roupfof larger apertures while said drum is rotating, and a p airof' Yliopper's"'one` of which is 'arranged below thev small'er'aperturesand' the other below the llarger apertures in the wall of the drum...

8'. A' nut-shelling machine' comprising a rotatable drum non-circular incross section in which the nuts are placed after the shells thereof havebeen cracked, means comprising a plurality of various sized pinsarranged within said drum whereby said nuts are tumbled about as saiddrum is rotated, longitudinally extending bars within said drum by whichsaid pins are supported, the wall of said drum being provided with agroup of apertures adjacent to one of its ends through which thefragments of the shells of said nuts pass, and a group of largerapertures adjacent to the other end of said drum through which thekernels of said nuts pass7 said drum heilig arranged at an inclinationto cause-the nuts therein to move towardthe group of larger apertureswhile said drum is rotating, a pair of hoppers one of which is arranged.below the ysmaller apertures and the other below the larger apertures inthe wall of the drum, and means whereby nuts and fragments thereof whichdo not pass through said aper- Y Certificate of Correction.

It is hereby certed that the name of the assignee in Letters Patent No.1,574,450, granted February 523, 1926, upon the application of Edgar R.Skinner, John H. Renne, and Edward O. Ostermeyer, of St. Louis,Missouri, for an improvement in Nut-Shelling Machines;7 was erroneouslyWritten and printed as Bernhart Mercantile Company, Whereas said naineshould have been Written and printed as Bamhart Mercantile Company, asshown by the'reoords of assignments in this oiHoe; and that the saidLetters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the samemay conform to the record of the oase in the Patent Ofiioe.

Signed and sealed this 23d day of March, A. D. 1926.

[SEAL] M. J. MOORE,

' Acting Commissioner of Patents.

